Tips and Tricks for Your Valentine’s Day bouquet With Premiere Floral Designer Lorrie Sanon

Throughout history and even mythology, the act of giving flowers has been a symbol of human emotion. Today, we still give flowers to help communicate our feelings to the people around us. Whether it be to express gratitude, friendship, sympathy, or true love a bouquet of flowers is often the perfect gift. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, there is no better time than to learn more about flowers and how to choose the perfect bouquet. Lorrie Sanon, of Indigo Hues Designs, gives us an inside scoop on the floral design industry and how to choose the perfect flower arrangement.

(L-R) Benjamin Vaschetti with Lorrie Sanon

Maison Benjamin: What is your background and how did you begin working in the floral design business?

Lorrie Sanon: My background is interior decorating. I was a decorator on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for nine years with Berkshire Hathaway. I started working with flowers with an acquaintance of mine, who was an event planner. Her assistant wasn't available when she was going on vacation, and she asked me to jump in to help her out. I then assisted her for the day, and I decided to take a class at a flower school in New York, so that's how I got started working with flowers. I basically just assisted a friend of mine and fell in love and was passionate about (flowers), and I’ve been at it ever since.

MB: What are the most popular styles to decorate your house, yacht, or condo for Valentine’s Day?

LS: The most popular (floral design) styles are modern, traditional, and garden styles.

MB: What are your top 3 pro tips to take into consideration when it comes to choosing a floral design for this Valentine’s Day?

LS:  Of course, when you receive a bouquet, you want it to last forever. So, I would choose flowers that have longevity and that are durable. I would also take into consideration the climate of where you are. If it's a bit warmer, choose flowers that are more tropical. Also, change the water in the vessel every three days, and give the flowers a fresh cut, because the stems do get waterlogged. Giving them a fresh cut allows a flower to absorb more water and they stay hydrated making your flowers last longer.

Lorrie Sanon

MB: With Valentine’s Day coming up, are there specific meanings behind the flowers you choose to incorporate into a design, especially for a holiday like this one?

LS: Tulips represent love, lilacs mean new love, and red roses, as we know, symbolize everlasting love. People typically order roses (for Valentine’s Day). I have also noticed that people have started straying a little bit from the traditional style you typically get. We have been doing red roses incorporated with other fillers. People are leaning toward something a little whimsical or even modern rather than the standard red bouquet of flowers.

MB: Is there a certain design, color scheme, or flower that you enjoy working with the most?

LS:  I enjoy working with a classic (color scheme), which is green and white. It's just a very neutral color scheme. I also love the modern style. I love working with roses and with phalaenopsis blooms. Phalaenopsis, which is an orchid plant, is the easiest of the variety to work with because it is very simple to maintain. I take the cut blooms off the plant and place it in a water tube, and I can place it on the centerpiece; it's for longevity (of the design). Calla lilies, cymbidium orchids, and dendrobium orchids are also some great flowers to work with. I use a lot of those on yachts, excluding roses and calla lilies, just for longevity. On a yacht, there are tropical temperatures, so those are great because they'll last a couple of weeks.

MB: What are the floral trends we can expect to see this season and the upcoming spring season in South Florida?

LS: Some trends we can expect to see are pompous grass. It's been around and it's not going anywhere. Dyed pompous grass and natural color pompous grass, with colors like magenta and buttery creams. Different styles of garden roses as well; there are a plethora of different colors available now, but roses are always in trend. Also, emerald greens, which reflect harmony, growth of royalty, and refinement, and saturated magenta color orchid flowers, which reflect a sense of positivity and escapism.

MB: Are there any upcoming projects that you are excited to be working on?

LS: We have the upcoming Palm Beach Boat Show that we do the Benetti booth every year, for the last five years. We’re also now staging the yachts (decor), not just the flowers. They are shipping everything from Italy including the accessories, like pillows and throws, which is giving me a new responsibility, so that's exciting. I also recently launched an online class for the yachting industry too.

MB: How can Maison Benjamin work together with Indigo Hue Designs to connect our clients who need floral designs and arrangements, especially for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday?

LS: We offer designs for Valentine’s Day that make the perfect gift, which would appeal to Maison Benjamin's clientele. Also, for people who rent homes, before they arrive, they may want orchids placed in the living room or different areas of the home. So, when they arrive, they're welcomed with flowers. We create tablescapes where flowers can be incorporated into the design as well or even custom flowers for events. We can collaborate on different ideas like these.

Maison Benjamin and Indigo Hue Designs are thrilled to offer custom flower arrangements for your house, condo, or yacht. Contact the Maison Benjamin team here to find out more about designing an arrangement for your next special occasion.